DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a sex crime.

Alex J. Skidmore, 21, of Atchison, will serve 114 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for aggravated sexual battery of a Lawrence woman he met on a dating app, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.

Judge Stacey Donovan, who had accepted Skidmore’s no contest plea in November also sentenced Skidmore to lifetime post-release supervision and required Skidmore to register as a sex offender for 25 years.

Charges stem from an incident that occurred in the 4300 block of W. 24th Place on June 16, 2022, when a 21-year-old woman reported to police that Skidmore sexually assaulted her in her bedroom.

“The survivor in this case bravely stepped forward and her courage has helped to make our community safer,” District Attorney Valdez said. “We all owe her a debt of gratitude for holding Mr. Skidmore accountable for his actions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705148206330.png" alt="Skidmore-photo Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>Skidmore-photo Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for a sex crime.Alex J. Skidmore, 21, of Atchison, will serve 114 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for aggravated sexual battery of a Lawrence woman he met on a dating app, according to&nbsp;Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez.Judge Stacey Donovan, who had accepted Skidmore’s no contest plea in November also sentenced Skidmore to lifetime post-release supervision and required Skidmore to register as a sex offender for 25 years.Charges stem from an incident that occurred in the 4300 block of W. 24th Place on June 16, 2022, when a 21-year-old woman reported to police that Skidmore sexually assaulted her in her bedroom.“The survivor in this case bravely stepped forward and her courage has helped to make our community safer,” District Attorney Valdez said. “We all owe her a debt of gratitude for holding Mr. Skidmore accountable for his actions.”

Kan. man sexually assaulted woman he met on dating app

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegaions following a traffic stop.

Just after 10:30p.m. Jan. 12, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1979 Ford Mustang near 150th and Q.4 Road for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The deputy observed what was believed to be drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.&nbsp; A search of the vehicle was conducted, where methamphetamine, multiple items of drug paraphernalia, a hallucinogenic drug and open containers of alcohol were located.

The deputy arrested the driver 57-year-old Bruce Leroy Bowers of Harveyville and booked him into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of a hallucinogenic drug,&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia, Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, 3rd conviction,&nbsp;&nbsp;Transporting open container,&nbsp;&nbsp;Operating motor vehicle w/o license and Improper driving on laned roadway.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705325503118.png" alt="Bowers-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Bowers-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegaions following a traffic stop.Just after 10:30p.m. Jan. 12, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1979 Ford Mustang near 150th and Q.4 Road for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The deputy observed what was believed to be drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.&nbsp; A search of the vehicle was conducted, where methamphetamine, multiple items of drug paraphernalia, a hallucinogenic drug and open containers of alcohol were located.The deputy arrested the driver 57-year-old Bruce Leroy Bowers of Harveyville and booked him into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of a hallucinogenic drug,&nbsp;&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia, Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, 3rd conviction,&nbsp;&nbsp;Transporting open container,&nbsp;&nbsp;Operating motor vehicle w/o license and Improper driving on laned roadway.

Sheriff: Kan. man transporting drugs accused of DUI again

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-navy-seals" target="_blank">U.S. Navy SEALs</a>&nbsp;on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a U.S. defense official said Monday.

The official said crew on the dhow, which did not have a country flag, were planning to transfer the missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia. The Navy recognized the boat as one with a history of transporting illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not made public.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-seals-missing-somalia-coast-boarding-mission-41a5cf55805f8aa0ff2c4d5626690529" target="_blank">The SEALs</a>&nbsp;were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary sea base vessel, and traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, around 8 p.m. local time, one SEAL got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both are missing.

The team boarding the small boat was facing about a dozen crew members. The crew members, who were taken into custody, had no paperwork, which allowed a search of the vessel. The weapons were confiscated, and the boat was sunk, a routine procedure that usually involves blowing open holes in the hull.

U.S. officials have said that the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm, and Navy SEALs are trained for such emergencies. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the ongoing search.

The U.S. Navy has conducted regular&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-middle-east-e4bde7250333a85445fe9a9f0f1c64a8" target="_blank">interdiction missions</a>&nbsp;in the region, also intercepting weapons on ships that were bound for Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Officials have said that the SEAL mission was not related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b" target="_blank">Operation Prosperity Guardian</a>, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11" target="_blank">conducted in Yemen</a>&nbsp;over the past two days.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-navy-seals" target="_blank">U.S. Navy SEALs</a>&nbsp;on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a U.S. defense official said Monday.The official said crew on the dhow, which did not have a country flag, were planning to transfer the missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia. The Navy recognized the boat as one with a history of transporting illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not made public.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-seals-missing-somalia-coast-boarding-mission-41a5cf55805f8aa0ff2c4d5626690529" target="_blank">The SEALs</a>&nbsp;were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary sea base vessel, and traveled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. As they were boarding it in rough seas, around 8 p.m. local time, one SEAL got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both are missing.The team boarding the small boat was facing about a dozen crew members. The crew members, who were taken into custody, had no paperwork, which allowed a search of the vessel. The weapons were confiscated, and the boat was sunk, a routine procedure that usually involves blowing open holes in the hull.U.S. officials have said that the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm, and Navy SEALs are trained for such emergencies. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the ongoing search.The U.S. Navy has conducted regular&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-middle-east-e4bde7250333a85445fe9a9f0f1c64a8" target="_blank">interdiction missions</a>&nbsp;in the region, also intercepting weapons on ships that were bound for Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.Officials have said that the SEAL mission was not related to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/attacks-red-sea-navy-mission-missiles-286d51bfd65e741e839e185f0f4a455b" target="_blank">Operation Prosperity Guardian</a>, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes that the United States and the United Kingdom have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11" target="_blank">conducted in Yemen</a>&nbsp;over the past two days.

2 missing Navy SEALs were on mission to confiscate Iranian missile parts

WICHITA —School is cancelled in dozens of school districts on Tuesday, Jan. 16, due to weather-related concerns including the largest school district in Kansas, according to a statement from USD 259 Wichita.

All non-attendance centers will remain open (AMAC, SSC, IST, Dunbar and ISC).&nbsp;All afternoon and evening athletic practices and competitions will continue as scheduled.

USD 259 anticipates having students back in school on Wednesday, January 17, so please plan accordingly.&nbsp;Any additional weather updates will be posted on the district’s Web site –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usd259.org/">www.usd259.org</a>&nbsp;– and on our social media sites.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705359924572.png" alt="Image KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>Image KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —School is cancelled in dozens of school districts on Tuesday, Jan. 16, due to weather-related concerns including the largest school district in Kansas, according to a statement from USD 259 Wichita.All non-attendance centers will remain open (AMAC, SSC, IST, Dunbar and ISC).&nbsp;All afternoon and evening athletic practices and competitions will continue as scheduled.<ul>
 <li>All non-attendance center personnel&nbsp;are expected to work as regularly scheduled, except for coaches and specialists on teacher contracts who will not report to work.</li><li>All&nbsp;school-based custodians, secretaries, clerks, school-based security and administrative personnel (principals and APs)&nbsp;are expected to report to their buildings as regularly scheduled.All teachers, paras and school-based food staff do NOT report to work.</li><li>All teachers, paras and school-based food staff do NOT report to work.</li><li>FPC 260-day Nutrition Services employees who work in the SSC&nbsp;are expected to report to work.School-based food staff will not report.</li><li>School-based food staff will not report.</li>
 </ul>USD 259 anticipates having students back in school on Wednesday, January 17, so please plan accordingly.&nbsp;Any additional weather updates will be posted on the district’s Web site –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usd259.org/">www.usd259.org</a>&nbsp;– and on our social media sites.

Largest school district in Kan. cancels classes for Tuesday

SHAWNEE COUNTY —The City of Topeka boil water advisory is expected to be in effect until at least Friday, according to a statement from the city on Monday afternoon.

On Sunday, City of Topeka reported that their utilities staff&nbsp; had been working since early Sunday morning to identify and resolve the low chlorine residual levels coming out of the Topeka Water Treatment Plant. 

City staff identified a mechanical issue that is believed to be the cause of the low chlorine levels. Repairs were made and chemical dosing was anticipated to resume in normal operation and fresh water was beginning to run through lines.&nbsp; The city continues to work with KDHE to test and make certain the water is safe.

<a href="https://citymanager.s3.amazonaws.com/FAQ011523.pdf">Click here for more</a> details on the advisory.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —The City of Topeka boil water advisory is expected to be in effect until at least Friday, according to a statement from the city on Monday afternoon.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The City of Topeka Water Boil Advisory is expected to be in effect until at least Friday, January 19, 2024. We understand that there are a lot of questions, so we have put together an FAQ sheet with more information. We appreciate the community&#39;s patience as we work to resolve… <a href="https://t.co/ysSfgihiS2">pic.twitter.com/ysSfgihiS2</a>&mdash; City of Topeka (@cityoftopeka) <a href="https://twitter.com/cityoftopeka/status/1746998429572595819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>On Sunday, City of Topeka reported that their utilities staff&nbsp; had been working since early Sunday morning to identify and resolve the low chlorine residual levels coming out of the Topeka Water Treatment Plant. City staff identified a mechanical issue that is believed to be the cause of the low chlorine levels. Repairs were made and chemical dosing was anticipated to resume in normal operation and fresh water was beginning to run through lines.&nbsp; The city continues to work with KDHE to test and make certain the water is safe.<a href="https://citymanager.s3.amazonaws.com/FAQ011523.pdf">Click here for more</a> details on the advisory.

Boil water advisory for the capital city extended to Friday

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;was released from the hospital Monday, after spending two weeks there to treat complications from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prostate-cancer-treatment-surgery-radiation-study-508ac3025e164ff629b180ebb6113df0">surgery for prostate cancer</a>&nbsp;he kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff for weeks.

He is expected to work from home as he recovers.

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-hospital-defense-secretary-biden-fe9060f1e277db706d3cee6cae1d2562">on Dec. 22</a>&nbsp;and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care.

Doctors said he remained in the hospital due to ongoing leg pain resulting from the infection and so he could get physical therapy.

President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin's hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin's failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his Pentagon chief</a>.

During Austin's time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">a series of military strikes</a>&nbsp;late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-houthi-yemen-ships-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-716770f0a780160e9abed98d3c48fbde">assaults on commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-secrecy-disclosure-6ff0ee7eddfde1231453f96774788642">The lack of transparency</a>&nbsp;about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-white-house-pentagon-lloyd-austin-8e888aaed905e2327501a237139c6f0e">administration and Defense Department reviews</a>&nbsp;on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24355772-cabinet-heads-memo">ordered Cabinet members</a>&nbsp;to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.

Austin's secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief's job is safe.

It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his job</a>, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704767147747.png" alt="Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visits the USS Gerald R. Ford underway in the Eastern Mediterranean, Dec. 20, 2023.&nbsp;Photo By:Chad J. McNeeley, DOD" />
 <figcaption>Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visits the USS Gerald R. Ford underway in the Eastern Mediterranean, Dec. 20, 2023.&nbsp;Photo By:Chad J. McNeeley, DOD</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/lloyd-austin">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>&nbsp;was released from the hospital Monday, after spending two weeks there to treat complications from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prostate-cancer-treatment-surgery-radiation-study-508ac3025e164ff629b180ebb6113df0">surgery for prostate cancer</a>&nbsp;he kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff for weeks.He is expected to work from home as he recovers.Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/austin-hospital-defense-secretary-biden-fe9060f1e277db706d3cee6cae1d2562">on Dec. 22</a>&nbsp;and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care.Doctors said he remained in the hospital due to ongoing leg pain resulting from the infection and so he could get physical therapy.President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin's hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin's failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his Pentagon chief</a>.During Austin's time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">a series of military strikes</a>&nbsp;late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-houthi-yemen-ships-attack-israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-716770f0a780160e9abed98d3c48fbde">assaults on commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-secrecy-disclosure-6ff0ee7eddfde1231453f96774788642">The lack of transparency</a>&nbsp;about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-white-house-pentagon-lloyd-austin-8e888aaed905e2327501a237139c6f0e">administration and Defense Department reviews</a>&nbsp;on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24355772-cabinet-heads-memo">ordered Cabinet members</a>&nbsp;to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.Austin's secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief's job is safe.It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">his job</a>, travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

Defense Secretary working from home after surgery he kept secret

By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina Post

For many, the dentist's office is often a daunting medical visit with an atmosphere of tentative calm. 

The scene at Tony's Pizza Event Center contrasted this norm, with many patients, adults and children alike, arriving with smiles, ready to receive donated treatment by local and out-of-state dental professionals.

On Friday and Saturday, Jan. 12 and 13, the Kansas Mission of Mercy, or KMOM, visited Salina and donated more than $400,000 in dental care to the community.

Many families visited the clinic, where KMOM provided children's appointments while also treating parents.

Due to the inclement weather, staff opened the doors to the event center during the night to allow visitors to wait inside a waiting room through the early morning hours.

Although volunteers intend to accept visitors for as long as possible throughout Friday and Saturday, staffing limitations and ranging dental treatments caused KMOM's doors to close at 9 a.m.

KMOM staff continued to attend children's appointments throughout the day. Inside the clinic floor at the children's station, a small TV playing children's cartoons entertained visitors while waiting.

According to Independence dentist and long-time volunteer Dr. Cindi Sherwood, each patients' needs are different, and to ensure those already inside the venue received proper care before the event ended, they had to end walk-ins early.

Sherwood said she has volunteered for the last 21 KMOM events and found giving back to the community is important for her as a professional.

"It's very heartwarming. As a professional, I feel you should give back, and it's really fun," Sherwood said. "It's hard work — many volunteers like me really like doing it, or you don't. Some people come and do it and decide, 'It's not for me.' but I think it's very rewarding."

Most dental volunteers begin treating patients as early as 5 a.m. but wake up earlier to prepare stations and sanitize tools and surfaces.

Once visitors arrived at the clinic, staff had them wait inside a side room of Tony's Pizza Event Center while filling out health information and other documents.

After providing that information, volunteer dentists would perform panoramic X-rays and a general examination before sending them to the clinic floor in the venue's main arena.

"They go from X-rays to dental triage where the dentist takes a look at them to see what they need and what the patient wants to have done,"&nbsp;Sherwood said.

When patients reach the clinic floor, some receive hundreds or even thousands of dollars in free dental care.

The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation has produced the KMOM event for 23 years and, throughout that time, has donated more than $22,500,000 in dental care.

"We fill in that gap for those with no alternative to seek the treatment they need," said Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation Executive Director Niki Sadler. "We're that format where they can come and get that treatment and get out of pain to get their smile back and feel better."

More than 12,000 professional dentists have donated their time in the last two decades to the organization. Each year a volunteer joins the event, they earn a star on their name tag&nbsp;

According to Sadler, the Salina KMOM reached more than $400,000 in donated care by Saturday morning.

"I have a lot of extractions that have to get done, which were very expensive," said Great Bend resident Selena Armstrong. "This has saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars." 

Armstrong said she has struggled to find quality dental care for all her medical needs in her local community but saw the quality and care from volunteers at the clinic.

"With all the time the volunteers have put into this, it's very emotional," Armstrong said.

Barton Community College offered to help transport students to the clinic, where Armstrong and her boyfriend, Brandon Goodwin, joined the journey and received general dental care.

The group traveled to Salina on Friday and stayed in a hotel to wait outdoors early on Saturday.

Many clinic patrons mirrored Armstrong and Goodwin, traveling the day before and waiting in line for hours to receive dental treatment. 

"I don't have dental insurance, so I came to get my teeth cleaned," Goodwin said. "It made me feel good and confident, and I got to learn about how to take care of my mouth a lot better today." 

KMOM staff recommended visitors plan well in advance for the clinic, arriving the night before or early the same morning to get a spot before seats fill.

Although the doors may close to visitors through the days of the event, staff will work to accept new patients later in the day to continue providing treatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705194156480.jpeg" alt="Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteers perform cleanings on patients during the 2024 KMOM Salina free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteers perform cleanings on patients during the 2024 KMOM Salina free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostFor many, the dentist's office is often a daunting medical visit with an atmosphere of tentative calm. The scene at Tony's Pizza Event Center contrasted this norm, with many patients, adults and children alike, arriving with smiles, ready to receive donated treatment by local and out-of-state dental professionals.On Friday and Saturday, Jan. 12 and 13, the Kansas Mission of Mercy, or KMOM, visited Salina and donated more than $400,000 in dental care to the community.Many families visited the clinic, where KMOM provided children's appointments while also treating parents.Due to the inclement weather, staff opened the doors to the event center during the night to allow visitors to wait inside a waiting room through the early morning hours.Although volunteers intend to accept visitors for as long as possible throughout Friday and Saturday, staffing limitations and ranging dental treatments caused KMOM's doors to close at 9 a.m.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705195209083.jpeg" alt="Sterilized instruments lay spread on a table prepared for volunteer professionals to use to treat patients during the 2024 Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Sterilized instruments lay spread on a table prepared for volunteer professionals to use to treat patients during the 2024 Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>KMOM staff continued to attend children's appointments throughout the day. Inside the clinic floor at the children's station, a small TV playing children's cartoons entertained visitors while waiting.According to Independence dentist and long-time volunteer Dr. Cindi Sherwood, each patients' needs are different, and to ensure those already inside the venue received proper care before the event ended, they had to end walk-ins early.Sherwood said she has volunteered for the last 21 KMOM events and found giving back to the community is important for her as a professional."It's very heartwarming. As a professional, I feel you should give back, and it's really fun," Sherwood said. "It's hard work — many volunteers like me really like doing it, or you don't. Some people come and do it and decide, 'It's not for me.' but I think it's very rewarding."Most dental volunteers begin treating patients as early as 5 a.m. but wake up earlier to prepare stations and sanitize tools and surfaces.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705195312650.jpeg" alt="Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteer dentist perform fillings and extractions on patients during the 2024 KMOM free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteer dentist perform fillings and extractions on patients during the 2024 KMOM free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The KMOM process</h2>Once visitors arrived at the clinic, staff had them wait inside a side room of Tony's Pizza Event Center while filling out health information and other documents.After providing that information, volunteer dentists would perform panoramic X-rays and a general examination before sending them to the clinic floor in the venue's main arena."They go from X-rays to dental triage where the dentist takes a look at them to see what they need and what the patient wants to have done,"&nbsp;Sherwood said.When patients reach the clinic floor, some receive hundreds or even thousands of dollars in free dental care.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705196072299.jpeg" alt="Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteer dentist from Derby Dr. Alan Jones prepares to examine a patient during the 2024 KMOM free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteer dentist from Derby Dr. Alan Jones prepares to examine a patient during the 2024 KMOM free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation has produced the KMOM event for 23 years and, throughout that time, has donated more than $22,500,000 in dental care."We fill in that gap for those with no alternative to seek the treatment they need," said Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation Executive Director Niki Sadler. "We're that format where they can come and get that treatment and get out of pain to get their smile back and feel better."More than 12,000 professional dentists have donated their time in the last two decades to the organization. Each year a volunteer joins the event, they earn a star on their name tag&nbsp;According to Sadler, the Salina KMOM reached more than $400,000 in donated care by Saturday morning.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705195378316.jpeg" alt="Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteers and patients mill around the main clinic floor during the 2024 KMOM free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Mission of Mercy volunteers and patients mill around the main clinic floor during the 2024 KMOM free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>"I have a lot of extractions that have to get done, which were very expensive," said Great Bend resident Selena Armstrong. "This has saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars." Armstrong said she has struggled to find quality dental care for all her medical needs in her local community but saw the quality and care from volunteers at the clinic."With all the time the volunteers have put into this, it's very emotional," Armstrong said.Barton Community College offered to help transport students to the clinic, where Armstrong and her boyfriend, Brandon Goodwin, joined the journey and received general dental care.The group traveled to Salina on Friday and stayed in a hotel to wait outdoors early on Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705195482017.jpeg" alt="Selena Armstrong, left, and Brandon Goodwin, right, from Great Bend, wait in line for dental care at the 2024 Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Selena Armstrong, left, and Brandon Goodwin, right, from Great Bend, wait in line for dental care at the 2024 Kansas Mission of Mercy free dental clinic on Saturday, Jan. 13, at Tony's Pizza Event Center. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Many clinic patrons mirrored Armstrong and Goodwin, traveling the day before and waiting in line for hours to receive dental treatment. "I don't have dental insurance, so I came to get my teeth cleaned," Goodwin said. "It made me feel good and confident, and I got to learn about how to take care of my mouth a lot better today." KMOM staff recommended visitors plan well in advance for the clinic, arriving the night before or early the same morning to get a spot before seats fill.Although the doors may close to visitors through the days of the event, staff will work to accept new patients later in the day to continue providing treatment.

Kan. Mission of Mercy Salina donates more than $400K in dental care

JERUSALEM (AP) — Houthi rebels fired a missile, striking a U.S.-owned ship Monday just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, less than a day after they launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea.

The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalates tensions gripping the Red Sea after American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis' attacks have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">roiled global shipping</a>, amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees Mideast waters, said Monday's attack happened some 110 miles (177 kilometers) miles southeast of Aden. It said the ship’s captain reported that the “port side of vessel hit from above by a missile.”

Private security firms Ambrey and Dryad Global told The Associated Press that the vessel was the Eagle Gibraltar, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier. The U.S. military's Central Command later acknowledged the strike.

“The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey,” Central Command said.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack in a recorded television address that aired Monday night.

“The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets,” he said.

The vessel is owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In a statement to the AP, the company acknowledged the strike and said it caused “limited damage to a cargo hold but (the ship) is stable and is heading out of the area.”

“All seafarers onboard the vessel are confirmed to be uninjured,” the firm said. “The vessel is carrying a cargo of steel products. Eagle Bulk management is in close contact with all relevant authorities concerning this matter.”

Satellite-tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the Eagle Gibraltar had been bound for the Suez Canal, but rapidly turned around at the time of the attack.

Central Command said it detected a separate anti-ship ballistic missile launch toward the southern Red Sea on Monday, though it ”failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen."

The U.S. Maritime Administration, under the Transportation Department, also issued a warning Monday saying there continues to be “a high degree of risk to commercial vessels” traveling near Yemen.

“While the decision to transit remains at the discretion of individual vessels and companies, it is recommended that U.S. flag and U.S.-owned commercial vessels” stay away from Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden “until further notice,” the advisory said.

Sunday's missile launch toward the American warship also marked the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthi fire in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, Central Command said.

The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.

“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."

The Houthis did not acknowledge that attack.

It wasn’t presently clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attacks, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”

The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.

The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.

U.S. forces followed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site</a>.

Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.

Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become a battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.

“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea, (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.

Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">calm tensions in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.

It's also affecting shipping for the Middle East nation of Qatar, one of the world's top natural gas suppliers. Three liquid natural gas tankers that had recently loaded in Qatar and were bound for the Suez Canal remain idling off Oman, while another coming from Europe to Qatar remains off Saudi Arabia. QatarEnergy and government officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.

The American military did not specifically say the fire targeted the Laboon, following a pattern by the U.S. since the Houthi attacks began. However, U.S. sailors have received combat ribbons for their actions in the Red Sea — something handed out only to those who face active hostilities with an enemy force.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Houthi rebels fired a missile, striking a U.S.-owned ship Monday just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, less than a day after they launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea.The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalates tensions gripping the Red Sea after American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis' attacks have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">roiled global shipping</a>, amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which oversees Mideast waters, said Monday's attack happened some 110 miles (177 kilometers) miles southeast of Aden. It said the ship’s captain reported that the “port side of vessel hit from above by a missile.”Private security firms Ambrey and Dryad Global told The Associated Press that the vessel was the Eagle Gibraltar, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier. The U.S. military's Central Command later acknowledged the strike.“The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey,” Central Command said.Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack in a recorded television address that aired Monday night.“The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets,” he said.The vessel is owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping, a Stamford, Connecticut-based firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In a statement to the AP, the company acknowledged the strike and said it caused “limited damage to a cargo hold but (the ship) is stable and is heading out of the area.”“All seafarers onboard the vessel are confirmed to be uninjured,” the firm said. “The vessel is carrying a cargo of steel products. Eagle Bulk management is in close contact with all relevant authorities concerning this matter.”Satellite-tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the Eagle Gibraltar had been bound for the Suez Canal, but rapidly turned around at the time of the attack.Central Command said it detected a separate anti-ship ballistic missile launch toward the southern Red Sea on Monday, though it ”failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen."The U.S. Maritime Administration, under the Transportation Department, also issued a warning Monday saying there continues to be “a high degree of risk to commercial vessels” traveling near Yemen.“While the decision to transit remains at the discretion of individual vessels and companies, it is recommended that U.S. flag and U.S.-owned commercial vessels” stay away from Yemen in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden “until further notice,” the advisory said.Sunday's missile launch toward the American warship also marked the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.The Houthi fire in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, Central Command said.The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."The Houthis did not acknowledge that attack.It wasn’t presently clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attacks, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.U.S. forces followed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site</a>.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become a battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea, (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">calm tensions in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.It's also affecting shipping for the Middle East nation of Qatar, one of the world's top natural gas suppliers. Three liquid natural gas tankers that had recently loaded in Qatar and were bound for the Suez Canal remain idling off Oman, while another coming from Europe to Qatar remains off Saudi Arabia. QatarEnergy and government officials did not respond to a request for comment.Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.The American military did not specifically say the fire targeted the Laboon, following a pattern by the U.S. since the Houthi attacks began. However, U.S. sailors have received combat ribbons for their actions in the Red Sea — something handed out only to those who face active hostilities with an enemy force.______

Terrorist missile strikes a U.S.-owned ship near the Red Sea

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On January 11, 2024, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 800 Block of NE Winfield Avenue in Topeka as part of an ongoing investigation, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell.

 While conducting the search warrant, officers located cocaine methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm.

As a result, Joshua Moore, 45 years of age, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of cocaine,&nbsp;&nbsp;Criminal use of a weapon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and for Driving While License is Suspended

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705098651860.png" alt="Moore photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Moore photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On January 11, 2024, members of the Topeka Police Department Narcotics Unit and Shawnee County Drug Task Force served a search warrant in the 800 Block of NE Winfield Avenue in Topeka as part of an ongoing investigation, according to Police Lt. Ronnie Connell. While conducting the search warrant, officers located cocaine methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm.As a result, Joshua Moore, 45 years of age, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of cocaine,&nbsp;&nbsp;Criminal use of a weapon, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and for Driving While License is Suspended

Police found meth for sale and cocaine at Kansas home

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area hospital is still working to correct systems and learn the source of a mid-December cyber attack.

In a statement from Liberty Hospital,&nbsp;2525 Glenn Hendren Drive, Liberty, Mo., they "proactively shut down their computer systems over three weeks ago "after detecting suspicious activity that has since been identified as a cybersecurity incident."

The hospital announced they had significantly recovered and are moving closer to full functionality every day.&nbsp; The hospital reported several milestones in their recovery process, including:

Most of the hospital and clinic capabilities are once again functional,&nbsp;although a few areas are intentionally treating a reduced number of patients. Patient&nbsp; electronic health records are once again in use at the hospital and all clinics. Digital&nbsp;functionality for most equipment and applications has been restored.

The Emergency Department is no longer on diversion. This comes just in time to help alleviate the strain on other area hospitals during the plunging temperatures.

"While our inpatient and outpatient volumes increase daily, patient safety remains our top priority. Whenever necessary, we will continue to use regulatory-approved, downtime patient safety protocols to ensure proper care and documentation."

"We are ever grateful to our staff, patients and community for their patience and support during this unprecedented incident. We also are so very grateful to emergency services providers and local hospitals for their partnership in providing the highest quality of care for the Northland and the metropolitan area."

"We are actively and diligently investigating the source and extent of the incident, which will take time. We remain committed to transparency and will share information as we are safely able to do so."

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area hospital is still working to correct systems and learn the source of a mid-December cyber attack.In a statement from Liberty Hospital,&nbsp;2525 Glenn Hendren Drive, Liberty, Mo., they "proactively shut down their computer systems over three weeks ago "after detecting suspicious activity that has since been identified as a cybersecurity incident."The hospital announced they had significantly recovered and are moving closer to full functionality every day.&nbsp; The hospital reported several milestones in their recovery process, including:Most of the hospital and clinic capabilities are once again functional,&nbsp;although a few areas are intentionally treating a reduced number of patients. Patient&nbsp; electronic health records are once again in use at the hospital and all clinics. Digital&nbsp;functionality for most equipment and applications has been restored.The Emergency Department is no longer on diversion. This comes just in time to help alleviate the strain on other area hospitals during the plunging temperatures."While our inpatient and outpatient volumes increase daily, patient safety remains our top priority. Whenever necessary, we will continue to use regulatory-approved, downtime patient safety protocols to ensure proper care and documentation.""We are ever grateful to our staff, patients and community for their patience and support during this unprecedented incident. We also are so very grateful to emergency services providers and local hospitals for their partnership in providing the highest quality of care for the Northland and the metropolitan area.""We are actively and diligently investigating the source and extent of the incident, which will take time. We remain committed to transparency and will share information as we are safely able to do so."

KC-area hospital still investigating the source of cyber attack

JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 7p.m. Saturday, police responded to the parking lot of a fast food restaurant in the 13330 W. 87th Street Parkway in Lenexa on the report of an armed disturbance. 

According to a 911 caller, one person was shot at the location. When officers arrived, they located a man inside a vehicle who had been shot. Officers attempted life-saving measures however the male was deceased at the scene.

A few minutes after this initial call, police received another call from an individual who said he was involved in the disturbance. Officers responded to an apartment in the 12700 block of W. 88th Circle where they took that individual into custody without incident.

Lenexa investigators spoke with involved persons and members of the Johnson County Crime Lab are assisting in the investigation.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim or the suspect.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705317718200.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and have a suspect in custody.Just before 7p.m. Saturday, police responded to the parking lot of a fast food restaurant in the 13330 W. 87th Street Parkway in Lenexa on the report of an armed disturbance. According to a 911 caller, one person was shot at the location. When officers arrived, they located a man inside a vehicle who had been shot. Officers attempted life-saving measures however the male was deceased at the scene.A few minutes after this initial call, police received another call from an individual who said he was involved in the disturbance. Officers responded to an apartment in the 12700 block of W. 88th Circle where they took that individual into custody without incident.Lenexa investigators spoke with involved persons and members of the Johnson County Crime Lab are assisting in the investigation.&nbsp; Police have not released the name of the victim or the suspect.

Suspect called police after deadly Kansas shooting

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Voting is set to begin Monday night in icy Iowa as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;eyes a victory that would send a resounding message that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-winter-weather-caucus-campaign-events-canceled-a4fd8a5550a05166534f7b330560cbc9">neither life-threatening cold</a>&nbsp;nor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-election-fraud-documents-1d8d88542e6257ad957cf2fc03e190ae">life-changing legal trouble</a>&nbsp;can slow his march toward the Republican Party's 2024 nomination.

The Iowa caucuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2024/election-2024-our-very-complicated-democracy/iowa-caucus-election-2024-presidential-race-episode-1.html">which are the opening contest</a>&nbsp;in the months-long Republican presidential primary process, begin at 8 p.m. EST. Caucus participants will gather inside more than 1,500 schools, churches and community centers to debate their options, in some cases for hours, before casting secret ballots.

While Trump projects confidence, his onetime chief rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-iowa-caucuses-election-2024-b41c967b94fda070dfb70dfb1bdcfa44">fighting for his political survival</a>&nbsp;in a make-or-break race for second place.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley</a>, the only woman in the race, stands in DeSantis' way. The two have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-haley-trump-iowa-republican-caucuses-2024-67f83ae02b266e3a62c3db1ea0800167">competed aggressively in recent weeks to emerge as the clear alternative</a>&nbsp;to the former president, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">has alienated many Americans</a>&nbsp;and could end up being a convicted felon by year’s end.

"I absolutely love a lot of the things (Trump) did, but his personality is just kind of getting in his way,” said Hans Rudin, a 49-year-old community college adviser from Council Bluffs, Iowa. He said he supported Trump in the past two elections, but will caucus for DeSantis on Monday.

Polls suggest Trump enters the day with a massive lead in Iowa as Haley and DeSantis duel for a distant second. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are also on the ballot, as is former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign last week.

With the coldest temperatures in caucus history expected and dangerous travel conditions in virtually every corner of the rural state, the campaigns are bracing for a low-turnout contest that will test the strength of their support and their organizational muscle. The final result will serve as a powerful signal for the rest of the nomination fight to determine who will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election.

After Iowa, the Republican primary shifts to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina over the coming weeks before moving into the rest of the country this spring. The ultimate nominee won't be confirmed until the party's national convention in July, but with big wins in the opening contests, Trump will be difficult to stop.

Trump's political strength heading into the Iowa caucuses, which come 426 days after he launched his 2024 campaign, tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from him. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases, including two indictments for his efforts to overturn the election and a third indictment for keeping classified documents in his Florida home.

In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country. And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting words like “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”

“Trump is a Christian. He’s trustworthy. He believes in America. And he believes in freedom,” said 71-year-old Kathy DeAngelo, a retired hospital administrative employee waiting in subzero weather to see Trump on Sunday. “He's the only one.”

The final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before the caucuses found Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers, compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second. Trump is also viewed more favorably than the other top contenders by likely caucusgoers, at 69% compared with 58% for DeSantis and just 48% for Haley.

On the eve of the caucuses, Trump predicted he would set a modern-day record for an Iowa Republican caucus with a margin-of-victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole earned in 1988. He also sought to downplay expectations that he would earn as much as 50% of the total vote.

Whether he hits that number or not, his critics note that roughly half of the state’s Republican voters will likely vote for someone not named Trump.

“Somebody won by 12 points and that was like a record. Well, we should do that," Trump said Sunday during an appearance at a Des Moines hotel. "If we don’t do that, let 'em criticize us, right? But let’s see if we can get to 50%.“

“Brave the weather and go out and save America," he later added.

The temperature in parts of Iowa on Monday could dip as low as negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 26 degrees Celsius) while snow drifts from Friday's blizzard still make travel hazardous across the rural state where unpaved roads are common.

Forecasters warned that “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit were possible through noon Tuesday. The conditions, according to the National Weather Service, could lead to “frost bite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes if not properly dressed for the conditions.”

Over the weekend, signs positioned on key roadways warned motorists in large flashing orange letters: “TRAVEL NOT ADVISED.”

And the winter weather, intimidating even for Iowa, will make an already unrepresentative process even less representative.

Many elderly Iowans, who are the backbone of the caucus, are wondering how they will make it to their sites. And only a tiny portion of the participants will be voters of color, given Iowa's overwhelmingly white population, a fact that helped convince Democrats to shift their opening primary contest to South Carolina this year.

Iowa's caucuses are also playing out on Martin Luther King Day, which is a federal holiday.

Last month, some presidential campaigns were expecting close to 200,000 Republican voters to participate in the caucus. On the eve of the contest, many now wonder whether the 2024 turnout will exceed the 118,411 Republicans who showed up in 2012.

Still, each of the campaigns is claiming a powerful get-out-the-vote operation that will ensure their supporters show up.

Haley rallied a room packed with Iowans and out-of-state volunteers on Sunday in Ames, drawing frequent cheers from the pink necklace and boa-clad “Women for Nikki.”

The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor repeated her frequent call for GOP voters to elect her as a “new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.”

Nearly 200 miles away in Dubuque, DeSantis dismissed questions about his position in the polls as he courted voters.

“I like being underestimated. I like being the underdog,” the Florida governor said. “I think that that’s better.”

Meanwhile, not all voters were excited about their options.

Jake Hutzell, 28, hasn’t participated in a caucus before, and he isn’t sure that he will Monday, either. He follows politics, but he said he’s part of a generation that’s skeptical any of it makes a difference.

“There’s never been anyone I feel strongly about,” the Dubuque resident said. “If I’m going to throw my name behind who I think should be the president, I would like to very feel very strongly about it.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Voting is set to begin Monday night in icy Iowa as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">former President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;eyes a victory that would send a resounding message that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-winter-weather-caucus-campaign-events-canceled-a4fd8a5550a05166534f7b330560cbc9">neither life-threatening cold</a>&nbsp;nor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-investigations-election-fraud-documents-1d8d88542e6257ad957cf2fc03e190ae">life-changing legal trouble</a>&nbsp;can slow his march toward the Republican Party's 2024 nomination.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Donald Trump: &quot;You must go caucus tomorrow...You can&#39;t sit home. If you&#39;re sick as a dog...even if you vote and then pass away, it&#39;s worth it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tdjwqau6fW">pic.twitter.com/tdjwqau6fW</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1746704464407343408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Iowa caucuses,&nbsp;<a href="https://projects.apnews.com/features/2024/election-2024-our-very-complicated-democracy/iowa-caucus-election-2024-presidential-race-episode-1.html">which are the opening contest</a>&nbsp;in the months-long Republican presidential primary process, begin at 8 p.m. EST. Caucus participants will gather inside more than 1,500 schools, churches and community centers to debate their options, in some cases for hours, before casting secret ballots.While Trump projects confidence, his onetime chief rival,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis">Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis</a>, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-iowa-caucuses-election-2024-b41c967b94fda070dfb70dfb1bdcfa44">fighting for his political survival</a>&nbsp;in a make-or-break race for second place.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikki-haley">Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley</a>, the only woman in the race, stands in DeSantis' way. The two have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-haley-trump-iowa-republican-caucuses-2024-67f83ae02b266e3a62c3db1ea0800167">competed aggressively in recent weeks to emerge as the clear alternative</a>&nbsp;to the former president, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-poll-old-corrupt-12b806876e2072790f9a67793761c688">has alienated many Americans</a>&nbsp;and could end up being a convicted felon by year’s end."I absolutely love a lot of the things (Trump) did, but his personality is just kind of getting in his way,” said Hans Rudin, a 49-year-old community college adviser from Council Bluffs, Iowa. He said he supported Trump in the past two elections, but will caucus for DeSantis on Monday.Polls suggest Trump enters the day with a massive lead in Iowa as Haley and DeSantis duel for a distant second. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson are also on the ballot, as is former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who suspended his campaign last week.With the coldest temperatures in caucus history expected and dangerous travel conditions in virtually every corner of the rural state, the campaigns are bracing for a low-turnout contest that will test the strength of their support and their organizational muscle. The final result will serve as a powerful signal for the rest of the nomination fight to determine who will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election.After Iowa, the Republican primary shifts to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina over the coming weeks before moving into the rest of the country this spring. The ultimate nominee won't be confirmed until the party's national convention in July, but with big wins in the opening contests, Trump will be difficult to stop.Trump's political strength heading into the Iowa caucuses, which come 426 days after he launched his 2024 campaign, tells a remarkable story of a Republican Party unwilling or unable to move on from him. He lost to Biden in 2020 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-donald-trump-mar-a-lago-classified-information-8dd6297eaebc358ffc15c153dc1b000e">fueling near-constant chaos</a>&nbsp;while in the White House, culminating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iowa-caucuses-young-conservatives-campaign-2ca7441852577795123845811b06bc06">with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Capitol. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases, including two indictments for his efforts to overturn the election and a third indictment for keeping classified documents in his Florida home.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly echoed authoritarian leaders and framed his campaign as one of retribution. He has spoken openly about using the power of government to pursue his political enemies. He has repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-iowa-dff7f632948fa6511fb7d1955a28610c">harnessed rhetoric</a>&nbsp;once used by Adolf Hitler to argue that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country. And he recently shared a word cloud last week to his social media account highlighting words like “revenge,” “power” and “dictatorship.”Republican voters have been undeterred.“Trump is a Christian. He’s trustworthy. He believes in America. And he believes in freedom,” said 71-year-old Kathy DeAngelo, a retired hospital administrative employee waiting in subzero weather to see Trump on Sunday. “He's the only one.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705318898624.png" alt="Nikki Haley during a campaign rally Sunday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Nikki Haley during a campaign rally Sunday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The final Des Moines Register/NBC News poll before the caucuses found Trump maintaining a formidable lead, supported by nearly half of likely caucusgoers, compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis. Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, and DeSantis, the Florida governor, remain locked in a close battle for second. Trump is also viewed more favorably than the other top contenders by likely caucusgoers, at 69% compared with 58% for DeSantis and just 48% for Haley.On the eve of the caucuses, Trump predicted he would set a modern-day record for an Iowa Republican caucus with a margin-of-victory exceeding the nearly 13 percentage points that Bob Dole earned in 1988. He also sought to downplay expectations that he would earn as much as 50% of the total vote.Whether he hits that number or not, his critics note that roughly half of the state’s Republican voters will likely vote for someone not named Trump.“Somebody won by 12 points and that was like a record. Well, we should do that," Trump said Sunday during an appearance at a Des Moines hotel. "If we don’t do that, let 'em criticize us, right? But let’s see if we can get to 50%.““Brave the weather and go out and save America," he later added.The temperature in parts of Iowa on Monday could dip as low as negative 14 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 26 degrees Celsius) while snow drifts from Friday's blizzard still make travel hazardous across the rural state where unpaved roads are common.Forecasters warned that “dangerously cold wind chills” as low as 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit were possible through noon Tuesday. The conditions, according to the National Weather Service, could lead to “frost bite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes if not properly dressed for the conditions.”Over the weekend, signs positioned on key roadways warned motorists in large flashing orange letters: “TRAVEL NOT ADVISED.”And the winter weather, intimidating even for Iowa, will make an already unrepresentative process even less representative.Many elderly Iowans, who are the backbone of the caucus, are wondering how they will make it to their sites. And only a tiny portion of the participants will be voters of color, given Iowa's overwhelmingly white population, a fact that helped convince Democrats to shift their opening primary contest to South Carolina this year.Iowa's caucuses are also playing out on Martin Luther King Day, which is a federal holiday.Last month, some presidential campaigns were expecting close to 200,000 Republican voters to participate in the caucus. On the eve of the contest, many now wonder whether the 2024 turnout will exceed the 118,411 Republicans who showed up in 2012.Still, each of the campaigns is claiming a powerful get-out-the-vote operation that will ensure their supporters show up.Haley rallied a room packed with Iowans and out-of-state volunteers on Sunday in Ames, drawing frequent cheers from the pink necklace and boa-clad “Women for Nikki.”The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor repeated her frequent call for GOP voters to elect her as a “new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind and focuses on the solutions of the future.”Nearly 200 miles away in Dubuque, DeSantis dismissed questions about his position in the polls as he courted voters.“I like being underestimated. I like being the underdog,” the Florida governor said. “I think that that’s better.”Meanwhile, not all voters were excited about their options.Jake Hutzell, 28, hasn’t participated in a caucus before, and he isn’t sure that he will Monday, either. He follows politics, but he said he’s part of a generation that’s skeptical any of it makes a difference.“There’s never been anyone I feel strongly about,” the Dubuque resident said. “If I’m going to throw my name behind who I think should be the president, I would like to very feel very strongly about it.”___

🎥Trump predicts he will break Bob Dole's record in Iowa caucus victory

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim with the tattoo as 53-year-old Gildardo H. Carvajal of Gardner, Kan., according to the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's Office

An employee at Rocky Hollow Park found his body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.

Charges have been filed against a suspect in the murder of&nbsp;Carvajal. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.

She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703285918610.png" alt="photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide and after asking the public for help have identified the victim with the tattoo as 53-year-old Gildardo H. Carvajal of Gardner, Kan., according to the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff's OfficeAn employee at Rocky Hollow Park found his body at about 8:15 a.m. December 22, off a roadway at the park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703802024415.png" alt="Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Flores-photo Clay Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Charges have been filed against a suspect in the murder of&nbsp;Carvajal. Investigators need help to locate 48-year-old Elena Delcarmen Flores. She has been charged with 1st-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Clay County Sheriff.She lives in Gardner, Kansas but investigators believe she may no longer be in the KC metro area. She may also go by Elena Torres, Elena Flores Garcia or Elena Stores. She is 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds. If you know where she is, call&nbsp; 816-407-3723 or <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> at 816-474-TIPS (8477). 2/2

Kansas woman charged with murder still hiding from police

KANSAS CITY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.

Just after 1:30p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 1600 block of Poplar, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. First responders reported smoke and fire from the second floor of the two-story house.

Occupants were able to escape before fire crews arrived. It took about 40 minutes to get this fire under control. Despite the near zero temperatures, there were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705274291483.png" alt="Photos Kansas&nbsp; City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Kansas&nbsp; City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Investigators are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Kansas City.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705274271650.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 1:30p.m. Sunday, crews responded to a reported house fire in the 1600 block of Poplar, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins. First responders reported smoke and fire from the second floor of the two-story house.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705274403597.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Occupants were able to escape before fire crews arrived. It took about 40 minutes to get this fire under control. Despite the near zero temperatures, there were no injuries reported.

Crews fight KC house fire in frigid conditions

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the latest attack roiling global shipping</a>&nbsp;amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.

The attack on Sunday marks the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-14-2024-3af5b75f744b92c5517b287baf20b55b">the Israel-Hamas war</a>, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration.

The Houthis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">a Shiite rebel group allied with Iran</a>&nbsp;that seized Yemen's capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attack, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”

The Houthi fire on Sunday went in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement.

Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes.

For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile.

Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.

“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.

Meanwhile, the White House said Sunday that “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group.

The comments exposed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-netanyahu-israel-palestinians-gaza-fe150c19cdcc4737f4a9e22a695490ed">growing differences</a>&nbsp;between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.

Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians — an older woman and her adult son — in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.

The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million residents from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-uninhabitable-un-humanitarian-israel-palestinians-famine-9d92816bdb8d82d023bc4bd18f67d8a3">pushed a quarter of the population into starvation</a>.

Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has been speaking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza.

“We believe it’s the right time for that transition. And we’re talking to them about doing that,” he said on “Face the Nation.”

Israel launched the offensive after the Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.

The war has sent tensions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">soaring across the region</a>, with Israel trading fire almost daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting international shipping, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a wave of U.S. airstrikes</a>&nbsp;last week.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said his group won’t stop until a cease-fire is in place for Gaza.

“We are continuing, and our front is inflicting losses on the enemy and putting pressure on displaced people,” Nasrallah said in a speech, referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled northern border areas.

In other developments, tens of thousands of people in Europe and the Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-hostages-cease-fire-london-karachi-2632ad0e7285e55f2c222dc69100014a">took to the streets</a>&nbsp;Sunday to mark the 100th day of the war. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza.

In Israel, supporters of the hostages and their families wrapped up a 24-hour protest in Tel Aviv calling on the government to win their immediate release.

The unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza has led South Africa to lodge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-774ab3c3d57fd7bcc627602eaf47fd98">allegations of genocide against Israel</a>&nbsp;at the International Court of Justice. Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-65b087102893dd06222370b10f0b4e4d">denies the accusations</a>&nbsp;and has vowed to press ahead with its offensive even if the court in The Hague issues an interim order for it to stop.

Israel has also been under growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza, but it has so far been shielded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">U.S. diplomatic and military support.</a>&nbsp;Israel argues that any cease-fire would hand victory to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction.

“It’s been 100 days, yet we will not stop until we win,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.

But differences with the Americans have begun to emerge. During a visit to the region last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his calls on Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and increase the supplies of desperately needed humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

In recent weeks, Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza, the initial target of the offensive, where weeks of airstrikes and ground operations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">left entire neighborhoods in ruins</a>.

Kirby, the White House spokesman, acknowledged that Israel had taken some “precursory steps” toward scaling back the offensive. But he said there was more to do.

“We’re not saying let your foot up off the gas completely and don’t keep going after Hamas,” he said. “It’s just that we believe the time is coming here very, very soon for a transition to this lower intensity phase.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1703990687604.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">the latest attack roiling global shipping</a>&nbsp;amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said.The attack on Sunday marks the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-biden-retaliation-attacks-0804b93372cd5e874a0dd03513fe36a2">America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels</a>&nbsp;following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-14-2024-3af5b75f744b92c5517b287baf20b55b">the Israel-Hamas war</a>, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration.The Houthis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-attacks-iran-ships-retaliation-houthis-d770a3fb0fab4c4b72e2459771833e11">a Shiite rebel group allied with Iran</a>&nbsp;that seized Yemen's capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attack, though President Joe Biden has said he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”The Houthi fire on Sunday went in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement.The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.“An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon,” Central Command said. “There were no injuries or damage reported."The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.U.S. forces followed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site</a>.Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes.For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile.Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas</a>. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.Even the leader of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, obliquely referenced the widening Houthi attacks on ships in a speech Sunday, saying that “the sea has become battlefield of missiles, drones and warships” and blaming the U.S. strikes for escalating maritime tensions.“The most dangerous thing is what the Americans did in the Red Sea (it) will harm the security of all maritime navigation,” Nasrallah said.Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">calm tensions in the Middle East</a>&nbsp;for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes in the Red Sea threaten to ignite one.Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.Meanwhile, the White House said Sunday that “it’s the right time” for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory’s ruling Hamas militant group.The comments exposed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-netanyahu-israel-palestinians-gaza-fe150c19cdcc4737f4a9e22a695490ed">growing differences</a>&nbsp;between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians — an older woman and her adult son — in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million residents from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-uninhabitable-un-humanitarian-israel-palestinians-famine-9d92816bdb8d82d023bc4bd18f67d8a3">pushed a quarter of the population into starvation</a>.Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has been speaking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza.“We believe it’s the right time for that transition. And we’re talking to them about doing that,” he said on “Face the Nation.”Israel launched the offensive after the Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.The war has sent tensions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-yemen-0373be2e21b5a832d71f5bf828f67959">soaring across the region</a>, with Israel trading fire almost daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting international shipping, drawing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-us-ship-attacks-bombing-red-sea-iran-cc06d9186a00d1f22bea6b9c14dda12a">a wave of U.S. airstrikes</a>&nbsp;last week.Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said his group won’t stop until a cease-fire is in place for Gaza.“We are continuing, and our front is inflicting losses on the enemy and putting pressure on displaced people,” Nasrallah said in a speech, referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled northern border areas.In other developments, tens of thousands of people in Europe and the Middle East&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-hostages-cease-fire-london-karachi-2632ad0e7285e55f2c222dc69100014a">took to the streets</a>&nbsp;Sunday to mark the 100th day of the war. Opposing demonstrations either demanded the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas or called for a cease-fire in Gaza.In Israel, supporters of the hostages and their families wrapped up a 24-hour protest in Tel Aviv calling on the government to win their immediate release.INTERNATIONAL PRESSUREThe unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza has led South Africa to lodge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-774ab3c3d57fd7bcc627602eaf47fd98">allegations of genocide against Israel</a>&nbsp;at the International Court of Justice. Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-court-israel-genocide-gaza-south-africa-65b087102893dd06222370b10f0b4e4d">denies the accusations</a>&nbsp;and has vowed to press ahead with its offensive even if the court in The Hague issues an interim order for it to stop.Israel has also been under growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza, but it has so far been shielded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-israel-gaza-arms-hamas-bypass-congress-1dc77f20aac4a797df6a2338b677da4f">U.S. diplomatic and military support.</a>&nbsp;Israel argues that any cease-fire would hand victory to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction.“It’s been 100 days, yet we will not stop until we win,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.But differences with the Americans have begun to emerge. During a visit to the region last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his calls on Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties and increase the supplies of desperately needed humanitarian aid entering Gaza.In recent weeks, Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza, the initial target of the offensive, where weeks of airstrikes and ground operations&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">left entire neighborhoods in ruins</a>.Kirby, the White House spokesman, acknowledged that Israel had taken some “precursory steps” toward scaling back the offensive. But he said there was more to do.“We’re not saying let your foot up off the gas completely and don’t keep going after Hamas,” he said. “It’s just that we believe the time is coming here very, very soon for a transition to this lower intensity phase.”FEARS OF A SECOND FRONTThe deadly Hezbollah missile strike in northern Israel renewed concerns about a second front erupting into full-blown war.It came shortly after the Israeli army said it killed three Lebanese militants who tried to infiltrate Israel.Late Sunday, the Israeli military said it had struck Lebanon in response to the missile strike. Israeli officials said a woman in her 70s and her son, in his 40s, were killed in the town of Yuval.The army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel would not tolerate attacks on civilians.“The price will be extracted not just tonight, but also in the future,” he said.Yuval is one of more than 40 towns along Israel’s northern border evacuated by the government in October. Israeli media reported that the family stayed in the area because they work in agriculture.Tensions have also spread to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Palestinian health officials say nearly 350 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in confrontations throughout the war.On Sunday, the Israeli army said troops opened fire after a Palestinian car breached a military roadblock in the southern West Bank and an attacker fired at soldiers. Palestinian health officials said two Palestinians were killed.Late Sunday, Palestinian health officials said two teenage boys were killed by Israeli fire. The army said it shot them after they threw a bomb at an army base.ISRAEL STRIKES CENTRAL, SOUTHERN GAZAIsrael has launched major operations against the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza.“No one is able to move,” said Rami Abu Matouq, who lives in the Maghazi camp. “Warplanes, snipers and gunfire are everywhere.”In the central town of Deir al-Balah, health officials said at least 15 people were killed in Israeli strikes late Saturday.At the entrance of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, men lined up to pray for the dead, their bodies wrapped in white shrouds. The bodies were put on the back of a pickup truck before they were taken to be buried.Meanwhile, the Egyptian TV station Al-Ghad said a cameraman was killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. The channel said Yazan al-Zwaidi was apparently in a crowd of people at the time. Details were not immediately available, and the Israeli military had no comment.The internet advocacy group Netblocks said communications in Gaza were still out after a 48-hour outage. The Palestinian telecommunications operator in Gaza, Jawwal, said two of its employees were killed Saturday when they were hit by a shell while fixing lines in Khan Younis.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Gaza Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;said Sunday that hospitals had received 125 bodies in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 23,968. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around two-thirds of the dead are women and minors. It says over 60,000 people have been wounded.Israel says Hamas is responsible for the high civilian casualties, saying its fighters make use of civilian buildings and launch attacks from densely populated urban areas. The military says 189 soldiers have been killed and 1,099 wounded since the start of the ground offensive.___